Quarter 'unaware of HIV status'

Blood was tested to assess undiagnosed HIV cases

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A quarter of people with HIV in the UK, over 22,000, are unaware they have the virus, experts from the Health Protection Agency have suggested.

The 2009 estimate is based on anonymous blood samples supplied for other reasons but tested and found to be HIV positive.

It is at the same level as 2008's estimate.

The Terrence Higgins Trust said more investment was still needed in prevention and awareness programmes.

The Health Protection Agency said 6,630 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in 2009, down for the fourth year in a row.

The HPA's report also found over half of those were diagnosed after the stage when treatment should have started.

In all, the number of people living with HIV in the UK reached an estimated 86,500 last year.

Dr Valerie Delpech, consultant epidemiologist and head of HIV surveillance at the HPA, said: "We're very concerned that a large number of people in the UK are unaware of their HIV status and that half of all newly diagnosed people are diagnosed late, meaning they may not benefit from very effective treatments."

“ It's vitally important we invest in targeted HIV prevention and awareness programmes”

Sir Nick Partridge Terrence Higgins Trust

She called for better access to HIV testing in areas where rates of HIV infection are high.

"Pilot studies have shown that in these areas testing all adults registering at GPs or accessing certain hospital services can make an impact."

"The evidence shows that this testing is feasible to undertake and acceptable to patients. We would like to see this rolled out in areas where HIV infection is more common to reduce the number of people who are unaware of their HIV status and increase the chances of early diagnosis, when treatment is more successful."

The HPA added that those at higher risk of HIV, such as men who have sex with men and black Africans living in this country, should know their status and consider being tested regularly.

Sir Nick Partridge, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust sexual health charity, said: "With more people living with HIV than ever before in the UK it's vitally important we invest in targeted HIV prevention and awareness programmes, particularly for gay men who are most at risk.

"We also need to re-double work to get people to test, to reduce the high numbers of people who don't know that they have HIV for far too long before being tested and prevent needless deaths."

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-11838218

Evalyn Kareem Lyndon Gokey Leona Ostermeyer Mike Branford

Pentagon study 'backs gay troops'

Mr Gates said combat troops' concerns about gays are not insurmountable

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Allowing gay troops to serve openly in the US military would carry only a low risk of hindering fighting ability, a Pentagon study has found.

The survey also found a large majority of personnel would have no problem serving with openly gay comrades.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates urged Congress to repeal the ban but said the military would need careful preparation before repeal were implemented.

Under the ban, gay troops may serve but must hide their sexual orientation.

The report, ordered by US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, lays out how repeal would affect "unit cohesion", benefits, housing and training.

The survey, answered by more than 115,000 US military members and more than 44,000 military spouses, found that 70% of those who replied said the presence of an openly gay or lesbian servicemember in his or her immediate unit would have "positive, mixed or non-existent" effects on the military.

And 69% surveyed said they believed they had already worked alongside a gay or lesbian comrade.

But about 40-60% of combat troops foresaw negative effects on unit cohesion. Mr Gates said that did not present an insurmountable barrier to repeal.

"I strongly urge the senate to pass this legislation and send it to the president for his signature before the end of this year," Mr Gates told reporters at the Pentagon.

Failure to do so would risk leaving federal courts to order an immediate overturn of the ban before the military could properly prepare, which would be "disruptive and damaging", he said.

He said thorough and careful education and leadership would mitigate risks to military effectiveness.

"The level of risk is tied intimately to the quality of preparation," he told reporters at the Pentagon. "If a court ordered us to do this tomorrow I believe the risk to the force would be high. If we have plenty of time to prepare the force, to prepare the leadership... the more effectively we do that preparation the lower the risk."

Mr Obama and top US military chiefs have said they support ending the 17-year-old ban, but Republicans this autumn blocked an effort to repeal it.

Supporters of the ban had said they would await the results of the Pentagon study before deciding whether to back repeal. Mr Obama and the Democrats would like to repeal the ban during the current "lame duck" session of Congress - in part because Republicans made significant gains in the recent mid-term elections.

Meanwhile, a poll released on Monday suggested a 58% of Americans favour allowing homosexuals to serve openly in the military, compared with 27% opposed. Two federal courts have ruled the ban is unconstitutional.

Mr Gates and US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm Mike Mullen - both of whom support repealing the ban - are to appear at a US Senate hearing to discuss the findings of the Pentagon study.

Britain, Israel and dozens of other countries allow gay personnel to serve openly, but under the US policy established in 1993, gays may serve in the military but cannot acknowledge their orientation. The military is forbidden to inquire but may expel service members found to be gay.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-us-canada-11879997

Johnie Schenk Sirena Camareno Roosevelt Simmelink Alycia Mcgraw

Uni fees help for Welsh students

Universities in Wales have lobbied for tuition fee increases to meet a funding gap

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Welsh students will be protected from increased tuition fees, the Welsh Assembly Government says.

Education Minister Leighton Andrews made the commitment as he outlined Wales' response to the UK government's plan to increase fees in England.

In Wales, basic tuition fees will rise to £6,000 per annum, or £9,000 in some circumstances.

But the assembly government will meet the cost of extra fees for students from Wales attending any UK university.

In a statement to the Senedd chamber, Mr Andrews said: "In other words, the increase in fees for Welsh domiciled students, whether they study in England or Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland, will be paid by the Welsh Assembly Government.

"Welsh domiciled students will not have to find either £6,000 or £9,000 to study.

"The public purse will continue to subsidise higher education for Welsh domiciled students.

"Welsh students who go to university in 2012-13 will be paying the same in real terms as students who go to university in this academic year."

STUDENT PROTESTS CARDIFFStudents at Cardiff University are continuing their sit-in protest against higher tuition fees and education cuts.Around 30 students remain in the lecture theatre they occupied on Monday afternoon as part of a nationwide day of action.They say they will only leave if the university publicly opposes a rise in fees.

"I believe that the arrangements we've put in place are both fair, equitable and sustainable," he added.

He told AMs he was proposing to pay for the subsidy by top-slicing the teaching grant for Welsh universities.

He added: "Higher education should be on the basis of the individual's potential to benefit, and not on the basis of what they can afford to pay.

"This is a 'Made in Wales' policy which demonstrates the benefits of devolution. We are preserving the principle that the state will subsidise higher education and maintain opportunities for all."

The income repayment threshold for student loans will increase from £15,000 to £21,000 with a variable progressive rate of interest charged depending on income.

Part-time students will be able to access a tuition fee loan depending on the level of intensity of their course.

In addition, Welsh domiciled students will continue to be eligible for subsidised loans to meet the costs of the current level of tuition fee, £3290 per annum, plus inflation in future years.

TUITION FEES IN ENGLANDThe UK government has announced its intention to allow English universities to charge tuition fees up to £9,000 per year from September 2012.Funding for universities in England has been cut by around 80% and students will be asked to make up the difference in higher fees.Funding for universities in Wales has been cut by 12%.

The new arrangements will apply only to new students starting university in September 2012.

Should Parliament refuse to endorse the proposals of the UK government, the Welsh Assembly Government will develop an alternative approach.

Welsh Conservatives education spokesman, Paul Davies AM, said: "It has become increasingly clear that the current funding arrangements for Welsh higher education institutions are unsustainable.

"The policy of no top-up fees, which the Welsh Conservatives have supported for many years, has resulted in increased economic activity in Wales' university towns and cities.

"The challenge now is to ensure we can improve the competitiveness of Wales' higher education institutions and at the same time narrow the funding gap which has widened between Welsh institutions and those in other nations of the UK."

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/uk-wales-11878033

Russel Wally Elease Cappel Shawn Schweda Synthia Phay

Uefa bans and fines boss Mourinho

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho is banned for two Champions League matches, the second of which is suspended for three years, after being found guilty of improper conduct by Uefa.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/sport1/hi/football/europe/9244634.stm

Roni Nooney Todd Darland Renetta Topete Hassan Schied

US military unveils 'smart gun'

A new 'smart gun' is being used by the US military in Afghanistan.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/newsbeat/11876041

Fred Mahusay Houston File Corinne Leinen Angel Magat

Leaked cables 'attack on world'

Latest newsAnalysisKey issuesSource of cablesGlobal reports

Wikileaks' lawyer Mark Stephens: "The idea that this endangers people is frankly fanciful"

NUS backs 'fresh wave' of protest

About 50 students staged a sit-down protest in Oxford Street

Councils get public health role

The number of people harming their health through alcohol is rising

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Councils are to be put in charge of encouraging healthier lifestyles under new plans to be unveiled by ministers.

Local public health directors will be moved out of the NHS and into local government as part of the shake-up.

The government believes the wider remit of councils in areas such as housing, transport and leisure puts them in a stronger position to tackle smoking, drinking and obesity in England.

A ringfenced pot of NHS money will also be set aside to help.

The protection of the public health budget - the first time this has been done since the 1800s - is considered essential because of the cuts councils are facing following October's Spending Review.

To support local government, the Department of Health's public health white paper will also propose creating a new public health service that will provide advice and support on issues such as health protection, nutrition and treatment.

A health inclusion unit will be set up as well to oversee the drive to reduce health inequalities, which have widened over the past decade.

Extra money - dubbed health premiums - will be given to the poorest areas to help tackle some of the most entrenched problems.

But details on how the government aims to tackle individual problems, such as obesity, smoking and drinking, will not be spelt out until the new year.

Both the Association of Directors of Public Health and Local Government Association have welcomed the impending changes.

“Councils have the potential to make a real difference, but it important public health directors are given the power to influence what is happening”

Angela Mawle UK Public Health Association

And Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told the BBC the new system would have a "real impact on improving health".

He added: "Health is not just about the quality of healthcare. It's probably at least as much about the quality of people's lives - the environment, the housing, their education and employment."

The public health White Paper will say the key to encouraging healthier behaviour lies in creating the right environment and then "nudging" people into making different choices.

Examples of this include schemes such as incentivising children to walk to school and providing more support through nurses and health visitors to encourage new mothers to breastfeed.

Employers will also be told they have an important role in helping and supporting staff as well.

Mr Lansley has in the past been critical of what he has said has been the lecturing tone of previous public health drives.

He has also been keen to stress that the solutions do not necessarily require greater regulation.

In fact, the White Paper is expected to make reference to a "responsibility deal" that could be launched in the new year which will see industry sign up to schemes to encourage healthier behaviour.

Angela Mawle, of the UK Public Health Association, which has members in both local government and the NHS, said: "Councils have the potential to make a real difference, but it important public health directors are given the power to influence what is happening.

"I also don't think we should turn our back entirely on regulation. It still has a place."

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-11866031

Irmgard Kloeck Vance Debar Yon Harde Curt Shetrawski